Filling-supplying mechanism for looms.



No. 672,80I. Patented Apr. 23,1901.-

' J. H. NDRTHROP.

FILLING SUPPLYING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

(Application filed Jan. 7, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

m5. 672,80l. Patented Apr. 23,19m. .1. H. NORTHROP.

FILLING SU PPLYING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

(Application filed Jan. 7, 1901. V

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

mus pzvzns 00v. magnum wismuaro. u, c.

- UNITED STATES ATEN T FFICE.

JAMES H. NORTHROP, OF TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FILLING-SUPPLYING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,801, dated April 23, 1901.

Application filed January 7, 1901. Serial No. 42,322. (No model.)

To all whom it ind/y concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. NORTHROP, a

, citizen of the United States, residing at Tustin, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Filling Supplying Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of novel and very direct acting filling-supplying mechanism for looms, the time of operation being controlled by the amount of filling in the shuttle and in such manner that a change of filling will be effected prior to exhaustion of the filling and also upon breakage or failure of the filling.

I have shown my invention embodied in a loom which by a readily-eifected adjustment can be arranged to be stopped automatically whenever the filling breaks if weaving fine goods or to change filling automatically without stopping, a change infilling being effected prior to exhaustion thereof in the shuttle, whether the loom is to be stopped or not upon fillingbreakage. Aloom embodyingthisidea broadly forms the subject-matter of United States Patent No. 662,320, dated November 20, 1900; but, as will hereinafter more fully appear, I have embodied in this invention a number of novel and very desirable features, and I have simplified the mechanism and made it more direct acting.

Figure l is a top or plan view, centrally broken out, of aportion of aloom and filling supplying mechanism with one embodiment of my invention in con nection therewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of theloom on the lineman, Fig. 1, looking toward the right, the filling-feeler being omitted. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, but viewed from the right-hand side thereof. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail, in front elevation, showing the locked coupling between the means for controlling the springcoupling means and the weft-fork slide. Fig.

5 is an enlarged longitudinal section on the line w m, Fig. 1, to show the adjustable fulcrum forthe filling-feeler; and Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of the shoe carried by the feeler.

The loom A, breast-beam A lay A feeder F for the filling-carriers b, the transferrer f, and the operating or controlling rock-shaft d, adapted to be rocked in the direction of the arrow 20, Fig. 2, to efiect a change of filling, may be and are all as in the patent hereinbefore referred to or in United States Patent No. 648,986 and operating as described therein, together with the notched holdingplat'e N, the shipper-handle N Fig. 1, the substantially L-shaped feeler-arm f having its inner end extended to form an arm f, the abutment or stop b against which the arm is normally held by a spring 5 the shuttle-box B having an aperture 3 in its front wall, through which the feeler passes as the lay beats up, and the self-threading shuttle S, having a slot 4 in its side wall, whereby the feeler can feel the filling in the shuttle.

A shoe or wear-platef (shown separately in Fig. 6 and preferably made of hardened steel) is herein shown as provided. with a shankf longitudinally slotted at f to receive a suitable set-screw 5, by which it. is held in place upon the extremity of the arm f the shoe being reversible, so as to provide for wear, which, as will hereinafter appear, is very constant on this part, and the shoe is also adjustable longitudinally by means of the slot and set-screw 5. When one face of the shoe becomes worn, the shoe is simply reversed and the new face brought into operation.

It is necessary to adjust the feeler at times, and in order to provide a convenient mode of adjustment, which may be operated even when the loom is running, I have herein shown a split clamp 0. (see Figs. 1 and 5,) adapted to receive a rotatable stud 01. having an enlarged and eccentric head 0., on which is slipped the hub f of the feeler, the head a, forming the fulcrum for the feeler, which latter is retained in place bya washer to and bolt w, seated in the head. (See dotted lines, Fig. 5.) Obviously by rotating the stud in one or the other direction the fulcrum of the feeler will be adjusted with great nicety and accuracy to provide for the proper and accurate operation of the feeler. A bolt a passes through the ears of the clamp and serves to clamp the stud 00 in adjusted position to prevent any accidental rotative movement thereof. The clamp itself is mounted on a slotted ear 0. extended from the inner side of the holding-plate N, a bolt a, passing through the clamp and a slot 0. in the ear, so that the clamp may be bodily adjusted in the direction of the length of the breast-beam.

As in the patents referred to, the springs s normally act to keep the shoe f against the stop b which latter is mounted on the stand B, secured to the breast-beam, this stand having a guideway for the slide on, the weft-hammer W vibrating in the slotted bottom of the guideway for the slide.

In this invention the rock-shaft d has fast upon it an upturned arm (1 on which is fulcrumed at c a latch-carrier e, a latch 0 (best shown in Figs. 2 and 3) being mounted on the carrier. This latch is shown as-fo'rked or bifurcated at its inner end, as at e and is pivotally connected with the carrier at its outer end by a suitable stud-bolt c and between said stud-bolt and the bifurcated end the latch is' provided with a stud 0 which extends through a segmental slot 0 in the carrier, (see Fig. 2,) so that by loosening a nut c on the stud c the bifurcated end of the latch may be raised or lowered for adjustment. The latch-carrier is provided with a foot adapted to cooperate with the shoe on the feeler extension f, and I have herein shown this foot as a multifaced block or plate 0 of preferably hardened steel, secured to the face of the carrier opposite the latch by means of a suitable stud c and a clamping-nut e the stud passing through a longitudinal slot 0 in r the carrier to admit of adj ustment of the foot toward or from the fulcrum of the carrier. When one of the faces of the foot becomes worn by constant striking upon the shoe f the nut c is loosened and the plate turned sufficientl y to present a new wearing-surface. The lower arm or branch 0 of the latch (see Fig. 3) is notched, as at 8, and forms a bunter, the Upper branch 0 having a camsurface 0 which overhangs the slightly-upturned end of the hunter. the lay the feeler will engage the filling in the shuttle, and as the lay completes its forward beat the shoef will be removed from beneath the foot 0 so that the weight of the latchcarrier and latch will cause them to swing on the fulcrum a, lowering the latch, so that its bunter will be out of the path of movement of a dog to which is pivoted at U112 in a slot 300 (see dotted lines, Fig. 2) at the upper end of the weft-hammer and is capable of a slight upward tilting movement. The movement of the feeler referred to will take place intermittingly until the filling in the shuttle becomes exhausted to a predetermined extent,

whereupon the feeler will not be moved, and

as the hunter of the latch is then in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in the path of the dog w the weft-hammer as it moves toward the front of the loom will act through the latch to swing the arm (1 and rock the shaft (1 in the direction of the arrow 20 to ef- At alternate forward beats of;

feet the actuation of the filling-supplying mechanism, as in either of the patents referred to. Until, however, the filling is so exhausted the latch will be lowered, so that on the active stroke of the weft-hammer the dog 11: will enter the slot or opening c of the latch, and the beveled face 12 of the dog will engage the setting cam or surface 0 of the latch, lifting the latter, so that when the feeler is released as the lay goes back the shoe can pass under the foot 0", the movement of the weft-ham mer being such that the dog on the return stroke will not be disengaged from the latch until the shoe is substantially in the position shown in Fig. 2, and, finally, as the weft-hammer completes its return movement the dog to tilts as it slides over the hunter portion of the latch.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the connection between the weft hammer or actuator and the rock-shaft cl is very direct, the latch being operatively and directly connected with the rock-shaft and in a very simple yet strong and durable manner. The construction herein shown also enables me to dispense with a spring or springs in connection with the latch or latch-carrier.

The knock-off lever 'nn is fulcrumed atn on the breast-beam, (see Fig.'1,) the end n passing below the latch-carrier and under the upper end of an arm 01 to be referred to, the extremity of the lever end n being located in the path of a dog 30, fulcrumed on the forkslide m, the filling-fork or detector m being pivoted on said slide and having a tail m Fig. 2, to be engaged by the hook m of the weft-ham mer when the fork is not tilted, as upon filling failure, the slide at mat such time being moved outward or toward the front of the loom. A sliding trip 32 (see dotted lines, Fig. 2) is mounted on the slide and has a projection orlump 33. The dog 30 is threaded to receive a headed screw 34, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, and in full lines, Fig. 3,) the screw being set in the dog from the top or the bottom thereof, as may bedesired. As herein shown, the screw is set in from the top of the dog, so that the extremity of the latter is in position to engage the end 71 of the knockoff lever when the slide 'm is moved outward,

and when the parts are so set the loom will be meeting a shoulder of the stand, permitting the head of the screw 34 to drop from the lump 33, so that the dog 30, which was held with its outer end above the knock-off lever, will drop onto the top of the latter, substantially as in United States Patent No. 529,943, dated November 27, 1894:, and, as in said patent, a second outward movement of the slide will cause the dog, which has dropped in behind the knock-off lever, to engage and swing the latter, and thus release the shipper-handle. The outer end of the slide is connected with the hooked end 61 of the upturned arm (1 loosely mounted on the rock-shaft d, the depending end (1 of this arm operating to effect disengagement of the take-up pawl when the arm is moved by outward movement of the slide upon failure of the filling.

Referring to Fig. 4, ashoulder 6 on the hub of the arm 61 is adapted to engage an opposite shoulder 7 on a collar 70, mounted upon and adapted to be rigidly secured to the rockshaft (1, when desired, by a set-screw 75, the

collar serving as a lock-coupling, as in Patent'No. 662,320, to at times connect the arm 01 with the rock-shaft, so that when the arm is swung outward by the slide the rock-shaft willalso be turned to efiect the actuation of the filling-supplying mechanism. If, however, the collar is loose on the rock-shaft, the latter will not be effected by rocking of the arm (1 Thus if ordinary cloth is -to be Woven the coupling or collar will be secured to the rock-shaft, so that the fillingsupplying mechanism will be actuated upon breakage of the filling, and at the same time the headed screw34 willbe set on the dog 30, so that the head will be underneath the latter and the loom will not stop after filling-changing unless the shuttle should fail to thread. If fine goods are to be woven, however, requiring part picks to be removed, the lockcoupling will be released, so that the shaft d will not be rocked upon failure of the filling, and the headed screw 34 will be set in the dog 30, as is herein illustrated, so that on the first outward movement of the slide mdue to filling failure the shipper-handle will be released to stop the loom. Whichever adjustment be adapted, however, the actuation of the fillingsupplying mechanism will be efiected upon exhaustion of the filling in the shuttle to a predetermined exten The spring S bearing at its free end against the arm (1, operates to move the fork-slide inward.

The weft-hammer serves as a common actuator for the mechanism controlled by the amount of filling in the shuttle and the mechanism controlled by the presence or absence of filling in the shuttle notwithstanding the fact that in this invention the latch is supported entirely independently of the fillingfork slide. The quantity of filling in the shuttle at each forward beat of the lay determines whether the hunter or the setting-cam of the latch Will be positioned to be acted upon by the weft-hammer dog, it being of course necessary to provide some means for restoring the latch and latch-carrier to the position shown best in Figs. 2 and 3 after the shoe has been withdrawn from beneath the foot of the carrier.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown, as the same may be modified or rearranged without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a loom, automatic filling-supplying mechanism, a rock-shaft to control the time of its operation, an actuator therefor, alatch directly connected with the rock-shaft, and provided with a hunter and a setting-cam, and means governed by the filling in the shuttle to determine whether the hunter or the setting-cam shall be engaged by the actuator.

2. In a loom, automatic filling-supplying mechanism, means, including a rocker-arm, to control the time of its operation, a latch mounted on the rocker-arm and provided with a hunter and a setting-cam, an actuator to cooperate with the latch, aud means governed by the filling in the shuttle to determine whether the actuator shall engage the hunter or the setting-cam of the latch.

3. In a loom, automatic filling-supplying mechanism, means, including a latch bifurcated to present a hunter and a setting-cam, to control the time of operation of said mechanism, an actuator, and means governed by the filling in the shuttle to determine which part of the latch shall be engaged by the actuator.

4. In a loom, automatic filling-supplying mechanism, a rock-shaft to control the time of its operation, an arm to rock the shaft, a carrier pivotally mounted on said arm, and a latch on the carrier and having a hunter anda setting-cam, combined with a feeler intermittingly moved by engagement with the filling in the shuttle until exhausted to a predetermined extent, such movements effecting the movement of the latch-hunter into inoperative position, and an actuator to engage the hunter when operatively positioned and rock the shaft, or to cooperate with the setting-cam and restore the latch to normal position.

5. In a loom, automatic filling-supplying mechanism, a rock-shaft to control the time of its operation, an arm to rock the shaft, a carrier pivotally mounted on said arm, and a latch fulcrumed on the carrier, combined with a feeler intermittingly moved by engagement with the filling in the shuttle until exhausted to a predetermined extent, such movements effecting inoperative positioning of'the latch, and an actuator to engage the latch and thereby rock the shaft when the feeler has failed to effect the inoperative positioning of the latch.

6. In a loom, automatic filling-supplying mechanism, a rock-shaft to control the time of its operation, and having an attached rocker-arm, a carrier fulcrumed on said arm, alatch, and a multifaced adjustable foot, both mounted on the carrier, a feeler having a connected portion adapted to be intermittingly moved from beneath the foot untilthet filling in the shuttle is exhausted to a predetermined extent, to thereby eifect movement of the latch into inoperative position, and an actuator to engage the latch when so positioned, and lift it into normal position, or to efiect rocking of the shaft through the latch when the carrier-foot is not released by feeler movement.

7. In aloom provided with filling-supplying mechanism and stopping mechanism, a rockshaft to effect the operation of the former, a latch directly connected with said rock-shaft and normally operatively positioned, means to intermittingly eifect movement of the latch into inoperative position until the filling in the shuttle has been exhausted to a predetermined extent, independent means to efiect the operation of either the filling-supplying or the stopping mechanism upon failure of the filling, a selecting device to determine which of said mechanisms shall be operated and a common actuator to cooperate either with said independent means or with thelatch, cooperation of the latter and the actuator to rock said shaft occurring only when the latch is in normal position.

8. In a loom provided with automatic filling-supplying mechanism, means to control the time of its operation, including a rockshat't and a directly-connected latch having a bunter and a setting-cam, and a fillingfeeler intermittingly engaged and moved by the filling in'the shuttle until exhausted to a predetermined extent, subsequent engagement of the filling by the feeler failing to move the latter, combined with a vibrating weft-hammer and a dog carried thereby, the latch being moved to bring the setting-cam into the path of said dog at each filling-induced movement of the feeler, failure of the latter to effect such movement effecting operative engagement of the dog and bunter portion of the latch, to operate said rock-shaft.

. 9. In a loom provided with filling-supplying mechanism and stopping mechanism, means, including a rock-shaft and a latch operatively connected therewith, to effect the operation of the former upon exhaustion of the filling to a predetermined extent, means to control the operation of the stopping mechanism, actuated by or through filling failure and including a slide and a filling-fork, an arm loosely mounted on the rock-shaft and rocked by or through the slide upon filling failure, a device to lock the arm and shaft together to effect actuation of the filling-supplying mechanism, an independent actuator to cooperate with the latch and rock the shaft upon predetermined filling exhaustion, and a device to render ineffective temporarily the controlling means for the stopping mechanism,

latter including a feeler to feel the filling in the shuttle, a rock-shaft and a latch operatively connected therewith and moved into inoperative position through filling-induced movement of the feeler until predetermined exhaustion of the filling, said actuator rocking the shaft through engagement with the latch when in its operative position, and setting the latch at other times, combined with stopping mechanism for the loom, means to effect actuation of such mechanism upon filling failure, a device to render the operation of said means te mporarilyineffective,and connections between said means and the fillingsupplying mechanism to efiect actuation of the latter when said means is temporarily rendered inefiective to operate the stopping means. 7

11. In automatic filling-supplying mechananism for looms, a controlling rock-shaft having an arm, a latch-carrier fulcru med on said arm and. provided with a foot, a bifurcated latch adj ustably mounted on the arm,and havinga bunter and asetting-cam, afeeler moved intermittingly by engagement with the filling in the shuttle until exhausted to a predetermined extent,such movements elfecting movement of the latch-bunter into inoperative position, and a vibrating actuator adapted to engage the setting-cam, when the latch is in abnormal position and thereby set the latch, or to engage the bunter and therethrough rock the said rock-shaft.

12. In a loom provided'with filling-supplying mechanism, a slide, an actuator to move the slide upon failure of the filling, connections including a lock-coupling between the slide and filling-supplying mechanism to effect operation thereof, when the slide is moved, a shipper-handle, and means mounted on the. slide to at times operate the shipper-handle, when the slide is moved, combined with controlling devices for the fillingsupplying mechanism, mounted independently of said slide, and including a latch, and means governed by the filling in the shuttle to determine when the latch shall be operatively engaged by the actuator.

13. In a loom provided with filling-supplying mechanism,a controlling rock-shaft therefor, a bifurcated latch operatively connected with the rock-shaft, and having a bunter portion and setting-cam, means governed by the filling in the shuttle to determine which part of the latch shall cooperate with an actuator, and a vibrating actuator and a vertically-tilting dog thereon, thelatter engaging the latchbunter when the filling has been exhausted to a predetermined extent, and at times engaging the setting-cam to return the latch to normal position, the dog at such time entering the bifurcated portion of the latch, and on the return stroke of the actuator, tilting as it is withdrawn from engagement with the latch.

14. In a loom provided with automatic filling-supplying mechanism, means to control the time of its operation, a forked latch having a notched bunter portion and an overhanging cam-face, a vibrating actuator, a tilting dog mounted thereon and adapted to engage either the notched hunter or to pass between the it operatively engages the hunter, to thereby effect the actuation of the filling-supplying mechanism.

15. In automatic filling-s11pplyingmechanism for looms, a feeler intermittingly rocked by engagement with the filling in the shuttle,

a rotatable stud having an eccentric head on which the feeler is mounted to rock, a bodilyadjustable clamp to hold the stud in adjusted position, and means to retain the clamp in adjusted position.

16. In a loom provided with filling-supplying mechanism, a rock-shaft to control the operation thereof upon exhaustion of the filling to a predetermined extent, means to rock said shaft, including a latch-carrier connected therewith, a latch fulcrumed on the carrier and having a setting-cam, an actuator to engage the latch and actuate the rock-shaft or to act upon the cam and set the latch, and means controlled by the filling in the shuttle to determine the manner in which the latch shall be operated upon by the actuator.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES H. NORTI-IROP.

Witnesses:

GEO. HUNTINGTON, J. G. QUICK. 

